Soft mobile robot with double-air-chamber flexible body and paper folding wheel legs

Abstract

The invention discloses a soft mobile robot with a double-air-chamber flexible body and paper folding wheel legs, and belongs to the technical field of soft robots. Comprising a frame, a soft driver and a guide wheel are arranged at the front end and the rear end of the frame respectively, and air wheels are arranged on the left side and the right side of the frame respectively; the left end and the right end of the soft driver are each fixedly provided with an air wheel fixing support for installing the two air wheels, and the air wheels are driven by the two driving motors to rotate. Therefore, the robot can advance or retreat. The soft driver comprises a first air chamber and a second air chamber which are distributed left and right, a pneumatic control structure is arranged on the frame to control inflation and deflation of the first air chamber and the second air chamber, asymmetric deformation of the soft driver is achieved, the two air wheels are driven to deflect, and steering of the robot is achieved. According to the robot, multi-mode movement such as straight movement and steering is achieved through cooperation of double-air-chamber differential inflation and left-right driving.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of soft robot technology, specifically relating to a soft mobile robot with a flexible body with dual air chambers and origami-like wheel legs. Background Technology

[0002] With the increasing demand for applications such as services, medical assistance, rescue, and detection, robots need to possess both compliant safety and controllable maneuverability in confined spaces, unstructured environments, and scenarios involving contact with humans / vulnerable targets. Traditional rigid linkage and rotary joint mechanisms are complex in structure, lack environmental adaptability, and are prone to trade-offs between safety and reliability in contact tasks.

[0003] Soft robots rely on flexible materials and compliant structures to achieve large deformations and cushion impacts. Among them, pneumatic soft actuators are widely used due to their simple structure, light weight, and ease of compliant contact. Origami geometry can provide geometric constraints and programmable deformation through crease and parameter design, thereby improving the controllability of motion trajectory. For example, patent CN109129456B discloses a pneumatic soft actuator based on an origami structure, which can achieve bidirectional bending and other morphological outputs, reflecting the design concept of "origami structure + pneumatic drive".

[0004] However, existing origami-style pneumatic soft actuators mostly employ monostable or "input-as-output" energy transfer methods, lacking a mechanism for continuous energy storage within the actuator and rapid release when needed. This makes it difficult to simultaneously achieve rapid response, high energy utilization efficiency, and multi-motion mode switching within a single actuator unit. Furthermore, multi-mode mobile robots often require the collaboration of multiple actuator modules, leading to complex structures and control channels. Moreover, self-sensing integration for closed-loop control still faces challenges in signal stability and deployment durability under conditions of large deformation and origami-style configuration switching.

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a software actuator that deeply couples the bistable energy storage fast release characteristics with the dual-chamber origami aerodynamic structure, so as to realize multi-mode output such as extension, bending and coupling in a single drive unit, and provide a foundation for the integrated application of multi-mode movement and sensing feedback. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, the present invention aims to provide a soft mobile robot with a dual-chamber flexible body and origami-like wheel legs, thus solving the problems in the prior art.

[0007] The objective of this invention can be achieved through the following technical solutions: A soft mobile robot with a dual-chamber flexible body and origami-shaped wheel legs includes a frame. Soft actuators and guide wheels are respectively provided at the front and rear ends of the frame, and a pneumatic wheel is provided on each of the left and right sides of the frame. A pneumatic wheel mounting bracket is fixed to each of the left and right ends of the soft actuator to mount the two pneumatic wheels, and each pneumatic wheel is driven to rotate by two drive motors to achieve forward or backward movement of the robot. The soft actuator includes a first air chamber and a second air chamber distributed to the left and right. A pneumatic control structure is provided on the frame to control the inflation and deflation of the first air chamber and the second air chamber respectively, so as to realize the asymmetric deformation of the soft actuator, drive the two air wheels to deflect, and realize the robot's steering.

[0008] Furthermore, the software driver includes a paper-folding structure body, with the first air chamber and the second air chamber located inside the paper-folding structure body. The first air chamber and the second air chamber are respectively connected to the pneumatic control structure through air passages to achieve independent inflation and deflation control of the two air chambers.

[0009] Furthermore, the outer surface of the software driver is provided with a first flexible resistance sensing element and a second flexible resistance sensing element that are perpendicularly distributed to each other; the first flexible resistance sensing element and the second flexible resistance sensing element both span the outer regions of the first air chamber and the second air chamber, and are used to acquire deformation information of the software driver in different directions.

[0010] Furthermore, both the first and second flexible resistance sensing elements are electrically connected to the signal acquisition and processing module. The signal acquisition and processing module is used to acquire the resistance changes of the two flexible resistors and output the deformation state of the soft actuator, which is used to monitor the inflation and deployment state of the soft actuator and the local deformation response when the soft actuator collides with an external object.

[0011] Furthermore, the soft actuator also includes a first spring and a second spring, the first spring being arranged laterally along the actuator and the second spring being arranged along the extension direction of the soft actuator; the first spring and the second spring are continuously stretched during the deformation of the soft actuator, forming elastic potential energy.

[0012] Furthermore, a turbine shaft is provided at the center of the turbine to connect with the turbine fixing bracket; the turbine includes multiple wheel bodies evenly distributed around the circumference, and an air chamber is provided inside the wheel body. An air passage is provided on the turbine to fill and release air in the air chamber; the air chamber is connected to the pneumatic control structure through the air passage, and the wheel body deforms under the action of filling and releasing air.

[0013] Furthermore, the pneumatic control structure includes: an air pump, a first solenoid valve, a second solenoid valve, a third solenoid valve, a fourth solenoid valve, and a fifth solenoid valve; the air pump provides compressed air, the first solenoid valve controls the opening and closing of the air extraction pipe, the second solenoid valve controls the opening and closing of the air filling pipe, the third and fourth solenoid valves are respectively connected to two air passages in the first and second air chambers, and the fifth solenoid valve is connected to the air passages in the two air wheels.

[0014] Furthermore, a control module is installed on the frame to control the solenoid valve to control the inflation and deflation of the air passage, collect signals from the flexible resistive sensing element to obtain the deformation state of the driver and use it for collision detection, and control the drive motor to achieve movement and steering.

[0015] Furthermore, a turbine shaft is fixed at the center of the turbine, and the turbine shaft is rotatably connected to the turbine mounting frame; A gear transmission assembly and a quick-connect component are provided between the gas turbine and the gas turbine mounting frame. The gear transmission assembly includes: a drive motor fixed to the turbine mounting frame, a drive gear disposed at the output end of the drive motor, and a driven gear coaxially disposed on the turbine shaft, wherein the drive gear meshes with the driven gear. The rotating quick-connect component is connected to the outer end of the airway and is used to connect to an external air tube.

[0016] A medical assistive device, comprising the aforementioned soft mobile robot.

[0017] The beneficial effects of this invention are: 1. The bistable soft actuator of the present invention can switch to and maintain a stable form after inflation, and form a stable front-end support configuration after unfolding, making the support state of the mobile robot more stable during movement, thereby improving movement stability. 2. This invention enables multi-mode motion control by differentially inflating and deflating the dual air chambers and coordinating with left and right drives: in straight / reverse driving conditions, all four air passages are inflated simultaneously and the motor is driven to achieve forward or reverse movement; in turning conditions, the dual air chamber driver inflates only one air passage to form offset support and attitude adjustment, and cooperates with the drive motor to achieve turning.

[0018] 3. This invention utilizes the aerodynamic deformation characteristics of the soft air wheel to actively adjust the wheel diameter through independent air channels for inflation and deflation, thereby changing the wheel-to-ground contact radius and ground clearance, and improving adaptability to different ground surfaces.

[0019] 4. Two flexible resistors are set on the surface of the actuator as sensing structures. Their electrical signals change with the deformation of the actuator, which can be used to monitor whether the actuator is inflated (whether the expected deformation occurs) and whether the actuator collides with external objects, providing a basis for motion state monitoring and control. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, for those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a left view of the pneumatic soft moving mechanism of the present invention; Figure 2 These are exploded views and partial sectional views of the pneumatic soft moving mechanism of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a left view of the vehicle frame of the present invention; Figure 4 These are a top view, a cross-sectional view, and a view after air supply to the pneumatic soft actuator of the present invention. Figure 5 These are experimental diagrams showing the air supply of the pneumatic soft actuator of the present invention under different conditions; Figure 6 These are cross-sectional views of the left and right gas turbines of the present invention, and a view of the right gas turbine after it has been supplied with air. Figure 7 This is a diagram of the pneumatic control structure of the present invention; Figure 8 This is a top view of the soft mobile robot of the present invention after air is supplied to the first and second airways; Figure 9 This is a top view of the present invention after air is supplied to all airways; Figure 10 This is a left view of the present invention after air is supplied to all airways; Figure 11 This is a top view of the soft mobile robot of the present invention after air is supplied to the second, third and fourth air passages; Figure 12 These are actual images showing the effects of different airway supply methods of the present invention; Figure 13 This is a diagram illustrating the deformation process of a soft mobile robot after all airways have been supplied with air. Figure 14 This is a diagram illustrating the transformation process of the present invention when the forward / backward strategy is changed to a turning strategy; Figure 15 This is a diagram showing the relationship between the modified modes of the present invention and the various air passages and motors; Figure 16These are obstacle-crossing process diagrams for two modes of the present invention; Figure 17 This is a process diagram of the present invention at the experimental site; Figure 18 This is a graph showing the signal changes of the first and second flexible resistive sensors when the present invention turns and passes through various types of terrain.

[0022] Wherein: 1-Frame; 2-Soft actuator; 3-Left pneumatic wheel; 4-Right pneumatic wheel; 5-Left drive motor; 6-Right drive motor; 7-Control module; 8-Pneumatic control structure; 9-Guide wheel; 10-Actuator mounting bracket; 11-Pneumatic wheel mounting bracket; 12-Groove; 13-Slot; 14-Battery; 20-Origami structure main body; 21-First air chamber; 22-Second air chamber; 201-First air passage; 202-Second air passage; 23-First spring; 24-Second spring; 25-First flexible resistance sensor; 26-Second flexible resistance sensor; 30-Left wheel body; 31-Third air chamber; 32-Left pneumatic wheel shaft; 303-Third air passage. 40-Right wheel body; 41-Fourth air chamber; 42-Right air wheel shaft; 404-Fourth air passage; 51-Drive gear; 52-Driven gear; 53-Rotating quick-connect component; 60-Air pump; 601-Air pump supply port; 602-Air pump suction port; 61-First solenoid valve; 62-Second solenoid valve; 63-Third solenoid valve; 64-Fourth solenoid valve; 65-Fifth solenoid valve. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0024] Example 1 like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, a soft mobile robot with a dual-chamber flexible body and origami-like wheel legs includes: a frame 1, a soft actuator 2 disposed at the front end of the frame 1, a left pneumatic wheel 3 and a right pneumatic wheel 4 disposed on the left and right sides of the frame 1 with identical structures, and a guide wheel 9 disposed at the rear end of the frame 1; a pneumatic wheel fixing bracket 11 is fixed at each of the left and right ends of the soft actuator 2, respectively for mounting the left pneumatic wheel 3 and the right pneumatic wheel 4; a left drive motor 5 and a right drive motor 6 are respectively mounted on the two pneumatic wheel fixing brackets 11 to drive the pneumatic wheel 3 and the right pneumatic wheel 4 to rotate; thereby realizing the robot's forward or backward movement; The soft actuator 2 includes a first air chamber 21 and a second air chamber 22 distributed to the left and right. The first air chamber 21 and the second air chamber 22 are controlled to be filled and released by a pneumatic control structure 8 set on the frame 1, so as to realize the asymmetric deformation of the soft actuator 2, thereby driving the left air wheel 3 and the right air wheel 4 to deflect and realize the robot's steering.

[0025] Specifically: like Figure 3 As shown, the frame 1 includes a driver mounting bracket 10 for fixing the soft driver 2; a pneumatic wheel mounting bracket 11 is glued to each end of the soft driver 2; the frame 1 has grooves 12 for mounting a control module 7, which controls the pneumatic control structure 8 to independently adjust the inflation and deflation of each air passage of the soft driver 2 and the left and right soft pneumatic wheels 3 and 4, and to drive the left and right drive motors 5 and 6 to achieve movement and steering control; the control module 7 is also used to collect signals from two flexible resistors 25 and 26 on the surface of the driver to monitor the inflation and deformation state of the driver and for collision detection. The frame 1 has slots 13 for mounting guide wheels 9; the frame 1 is equipped with a battery 14 to provide power to the mobile robot, supplying power to the left and right drive motors 5 and 6, the control module 7, the solenoid valves 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, and the flexible resistor sensors 25 and 26, enabling electrical control and motion drive without an external power source.

[0026] like Figure 4 As shown in (a)-(c), the software driver 2 includes a paper-folding structure body 20. The paper-folding structure body 20 has a first air chamber 21 and a second air chamber 22 inside. The first air chamber 21 is connected to the pneumatic control structure 8 through a first air passage 201, and the second air chamber 22 is connected to the pneumatic control structure 8 through a second air passage 202, so as to realize independent inflation and deflation control of the two air chambers. The soft actuator 2 also includes a first spring 23 and a second spring 24. The first spring 23 is arranged laterally along the actuator, with its two ends connected to the corresponding movable nodes on the left and right sides of the origami structure body 20, respectively. The second spring 24 is arranged along the extension direction of the actuator, with its two ends connected to the fixed end and the output end of the origami structure body 20, respectively. During the actuator's inflation and extension / bending process, the two springs are stretched and store elastic potential energy. This, combined with the differentiated inflation and deflation of the two air chambers, forms an energy barrier, allowing the actuator to stably maintain two states. When the air pressure reaches a critical condition, the stored energy in the springs is released instantaneously, causing the actuator to rapidly jump, achieving a rapid switch between the two stable states. When the first air chamber 21 and the second air chamber 22 are in a preset pneumatic state, the soft actuator 2 is in the first stable state; in another preset pneumatic state, the actuator 2 switches and maintains the second stable state. By differentially inflating and deflationing the first air chamber 21 and the second air chamber 22 (e.g., inflating only one chamber or applying different air pressures to the two chambers), the soft actuator 2 can rapidly switch between the first stable state and the second stable state.

[0027] like Figure 5 As shown, experiments were conducted to control different air pressures in the first air chamber 21 and the second air chamber 22 of the software driver 2 under different conditions. Figure 5 In experiment A, the first spring 23 is retained and the second spring 24 is removed. Air is supplied to the first air passage 201, and the deformation of the actuator is controlled by different air pressures. Figure 5 The experiment corresponding to B in the experiment is to remove the first spring 23 and keep the second spring 24, supply air to the first air passage 201, control different air pressures, and observe the deformation of the actuator. Figure 5 The experiment corresponding to C in the figure is to retain the first spring 23 and the second spring 24, and provide different air pressures to the first air passage 201 to observe the deformation of the actuator.

[0028] In this embodiment, the soft actuator 2 is installed at the front end of the frame 1. When the soft actuator 2 is inflated and unfolded, it forms a front support structure, which cooperates with the guide wheel 9 to make the whole machine form a three-wheel support configuration and move in conjunction with the drive of the left and right soft air wheels. When only the first air chamber 21 or the second air chamber 22 is inflated, the soft actuator 2 produces an asymmetrical shape to assist steering.

[0029] In this embodiment, the outer surface of the software driver 2 is provided with a first flexible resistance sensing element 25 and a second flexible resistance sensing element 26 arranged perpendicularly to each other. The first flexible resistance sensing element 25 is attached to the first surface of the driver 2 and spans the outer regions of the first air chamber 21 and the second air chamber 22, used to reflect the overall deformation of the driver along a first direction. The second flexible resistance sensing element 26 is attached to the second surface of the driver 2, which is a different surface from the first surface, and the second flexible resistance sensing element 26 also spans the outer regions of the first air chamber 21 and the second air chamber 22. The first flexible resistance sensing element 25 and the second flexible resistance sensing element 26 are arranged in a cross shape when projected onto the driver surface to obtain deformation information of the driver in different directions.

[0030] Both the first flexible resistance sensing element 25 and the second flexible resistance sensing element 26 are electrically connected to the signal acquisition and processing module. The signal acquisition and processing module is used to collect the resistance changes of the two flexible resistors and output the deformation state of the soft actuator 2. This is used to monitor the inflation and deployment state of the soft actuator 2 and the local deformation response of the soft actuator 2 when it collides with an external object. Specifically, in different motion modes, collisions that obstruct the mobile robot can cause instantaneous wheel slippage and local stress concentration. Since the first flexible resistance sensing element 25 and the second flexible resistance sensing element 26 are attached to the deformation-sensitive area, this change in force state is directly converted into a change in the tensile state of the sensors, thus causing the two signals to exhibit significant voltage transients or steady-state shifts in the time period after the collision.

[0031] like Figure 6 As shown in (a), a left air wheel shaft 32 is set at the center of the left air wheel 3 to be installed with the air wheel fixing bracket 11 and driven by the left drive motor, thereby driving the left air wheel 3 to rotate; the left air wheel 3 includes multiple left wheel bodies 30 evenly distributed in a circle, and a third air chamber 31 is provided inside the left wheel body 30. A third air passage 303 is provided on the left air wheel 3 to charge and release air to the third air chamber 31; the third air chamber 31 is connected to the pneumatic control structure 8 through the third air passage 303, and the left wheel body 30 is deformed under the action of charging and releasing air, thereby realizing the start of the left air wheel 3.

[0032] like Figure 6 As shown in (b), a right air wheel shaft 42 is set at the center of the right air wheel 4 to be installed with the air wheel fixing bracket 11 and driven by the right drive motor, thereby driving the right air wheel 4 to rotate. The right air wheel 4 includes multiple right wheel bodies 40 evenly distributed in a circle. A fourth air chamber 41 is provided inside the right wheel body 40. A fourth air passage 404 is provided on the right air wheel 4 to charge and release air in the fourth air chamber 41. The fourth air chamber 41 is connected to the pneumatic control structure 8 through the fourth air passage 404. Under the action of charging and releasing air, the right wheel body 40 deforms, thereby realizing the start of the right air wheel 4.

[0033] In this embodiment, one structure of the deformed turbine is as follows: Figure 6 As shown in (c), the left pneumatic wheel 3 is connected to the pneumatic control structure 8 through the third air passage 303, and the right pneumatic wheel 4 is connected to the pneumatic control structure 8 through the fourth air passage 404, so as to realize independent inflation and deflation control of the left and right pneumatic wheels. The left drive motor is driven by the left pneumatic wheel 3, and the right drive motor is driven by the right pneumatic wheel 4, so as to drive the soft pneumatic wheel to rotate and realize the movement of the mechanism.

[0034] like Figure 7 As shown, the pneumatic control structure 8 includes an air pump 60, an air supply port 601, an air extraction port 602, a first solenoid valve 61, a second solenoid valve 62, a third solenoid valve 63, a fourth solenoid valve 64, and a fifth solenoid valve 65. The air pump 60 provides compressed air. The first solenoid valve 61 controls the opening and closing of the extraction pipe, the second solenoid valve 62 controls the opening and closing of the inflation pipe, the third solenoid valve 63 is connected to the first air passage 201, the fourth solenoid valve 64 is connected to the second air passage 202, and the fifth solenoid valve 65 is connected to the third air passage 303 and the fourth air passage 404, respectively controlling the opening and closing of the first to fourth air passages to supply air to the soft actuator 2 and the left and right air wheels 3 and 4. These components cooperate to achieve independent or combined inflation and deflation of the soft actuator and the air wheels.

[0035] In this embodiment, as Figure 2 As shown, taking the left air wheel 3 as an example, the connection structure between the air wheel fixing bracket 11 on the soft driver 2 and the air wheel 3 is described; specifically as follows: (The air wheel shaft 32 is rotatably mounted on the air wheel fixing bracket 11, and the wheel body 30 is coaxially fixed with the air wheel shaft 32. The first drive 5 is fixed to the air wheel fixing bracket 11, and its output end is provided with a drive transmission gear 51; a driven transmission gear 52 is coaxially provided on the air wheel shaft 32, and the drive transmission gear 51 and the driven transmission gear 52 mesh, so that the torque of the first drive motor 5 is output to the air wheel shaft 32 through gear transmission, thereby driving the soft air wheel 3 to rotate and move. In order to avoid the external air pipe from getting tangled when the air wheel rotates, the outer end of the third air passage 303 is sealed and connected to the external air pipe through a rotating quick-connect component 53. The rotating quick-connect component 53 has a rotating sealing structure, which can keep the air supply channel connected and achieve dynamic sealing during relative rotation; without disassembling the sealing structure, its sealing performance can be characterized by pressurizing the air supply end and observing the pressure drop or leakage change during rotation.

[0036] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the frame 1, soft actuator 2, left and right air wheels 3 and 4, and guide wheel 9 are all manufactured using 3D printing. The main body of the frame is made of polylactic acid (PLA) to ensure rigidity; the soft actuator 2 uses thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU 85A) with a Shore hardness of 85A to provide stronger elastic recovery, making it easier for the actuator to return to the set shape after deflation, and also facilitating the formation of an "energy barrier" and rapid jump; the left and right air wheels 3 and 4 use polyether block amide (PEBA 85A) with a Shore hardness of 85A to ensure load-bearing capacity while also taking into account deformation capacity; and the guide wheel 9 uses thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU 85A) with a Shore hardness of 85A to enhance ground adhesion and cushioning performance.

[0037] Example 2 In this embodiment, the transformation modes and operation methods of the soft robot in Embodiment 1 are described. like Figure 15 As shown, the mobile robot has 10 transformation modes, each of which corresponds to a combination of opening and closing of each airway and the operating mode of each motor.

[0038] In one embodiment, the working process of the pneumatic soft mobile robot of the present invention includes, but is not limited to, the following working methods: Working method 1: Moving forward or backward in a straight line.

[0039] like Figures 8-10 As shown, the pneumatic control structure 8 simultaneously supplies air to the first air passage 201, the second air passage 202, the third air passage 303, and the fourth air passage 404, causing the soft actuator 2 to inflate, unfold, and reach a preset stable state. Simultaneously, the left pneumatic wheel 3 and the right pneumatic wheel 4 reach their preset positions, forming a three-wheeled support configuration for the mobile robot. Subsequently, the left and right drive motors rotate in the same direction at the same speed, driving the left and right soft pneumatic wheels to roll, thus enabling the mechanism to move forward; when the two drive motors rotate in opposite directions at the same speed, the mechanism moves backward.

[0040] like Figure 13 As shown, where Figure 13 (a) in the diagram represents the initial state of each airway before air is supplied. Figure 13 (f) in the diagram represents the fully deployed state of the mobile robot after air is supplied through the first airway 201, the second airway 202, the third airway 303, and the fourth airway 404. Figure 13 (b) to (e) is the intermediate process. Specifically, the process involves supplying air to the first air passage 201 and the second air passage 202, the soft actuator 2 unfolds, and the air wheels 3 and 4 move away from the frame 1 as the soft actuator 2 unfolds, supplying air to the third air passage 303 and the fourth air passage 404, and the air wheels 3 and 4 open up.

[0041] Operating mode two: Steering motion. When steering is required, the pneumatic control structure 8 implements differentiated air supply control on the dual air chambers of the dynamic soft actuator 2, that is, only one air passage 201 or the second air passage 202 is supplied with air, causing the dynamic soft actuator 2 to produce an asymmetrical shape, thereby causing the front end support state of the whole machine to be offset; based on this, by controlling the speed difference between the left drive motor and the right drive motor, the mechanism can achieve left or right rotation.

[0042] In this example, such as Figure 11 As shown, the pneumatic control structure 8 supplies air only to the second air passage 202, the third air passage 303 and the fourth air passage 404, and stops supplying air to the first air passage 201, causing the soft mobile robot to be tilted to the left. By controlling the speed difference between the left drive motor and the right drive motor, the mobile robot can turn left.

[0043] like Figure 14 As shown, Figure 14 (a) in the diagram represents the completed state after air supply to each airway. Figure 14 (f) in the diagram represents the state where the second air chamber 22 of the soft actuator 2 contracts after the supply of air to the second air passage 202 stops. Figure 14 The process from (b) to (e) is the intermediate step. Specifically, this process involves the right soft pneumatic wheel 4 retracting back and moving closer to the frame 1, causing the mobile robot to change its orientation.

[0044] Operating Mode 3: Status Monitoring and Collision Detection. The first flexible resistance sensing element 25 and the second flexible resistance sensing element 26 disposed on the surface of the software driver 2 are used to detect the deformation state of the driver; when the two flexible resistance signals reach the corresponding inflation deformation characteristics, it is determined that the driver has completed inflation and deployment; when the flexible resistance signals show abnormal sudden changes or are inconsistent with the preset inflation deformation characteristics, it is determined that the driver has collided with an external object, and can trigger responses such as deceleration, shutdown, or depressurization.

[0045] like Figure 11 As shown, Figure 11 Images (a), (b), and (c) show the effects of different airways supplying air to the soft mobile robot. Figure 11 In (a), the first airway 201, the second airway 202, the third airway 303, and the fourth airway 404 are not supplied with air; Figure 11 (b) supplies air to the second airway 202, the third airway 303, and the fourth airway 404, while the first airway 201 is not supplied with air; Figure 11 In section (c), air is supplied to the first airway 201, the second airway 202, the third airway 303, and the fourth airway 404. These three air supply strategies enable multi-mode movement of the soft mobile robot.

[0046] like Figure 16As shown, the mobile robot has a certain obstacle-crossing ability, and the mobile robot can be transformed into the following forms: Figure 15 In the 61st and 6th transformation modes, the robot moves forward and crosses an obstacle 50mm high. Both transformation modes of the mobile robot successfully crossed the obstacle.

[0047] like Figures 17-18 As shown, in this example, the soft mobile robot first approaches the wall. The pneumatic control structure 8 simultaneously supplies air to the first air duct 201, the second air duct 202, the third air duct 303, and the fourth air duct 404. The left and right drive motors rotate in the same direction at the same speed, driving the left and right soft pneumatic wheels to roll. When the soft mobile robot hits the wall, the flexible resistance signals of the first flexible resistance sensing element 25 and the second flexible resistance sensing element 26 show abnormal abrupt changes, detecting that the soft mobile robot has hit a foreign object. A turning strategy is initiated, the pneumatic control structure 8 stops supplying air to the first air duct 201, controls the speed difference between the left and right drive motors to achieve a left turn, and the pneumatic control structure 8 continues to supply air to the first air duct 201. The left and right drive motors rotate in the same direction at the same speed, and the soft mobile robot continues to move forward, hitting the wall again, and repeating the turning strategy once more. After turning, the soft mobile robot faces the preset experimental site and passes through smooth ground, grass, stone ground and gravel ground in succession. On different ground surfaces, the first flexible resistance sensing element 25 and the second flexible resistance sensing element 26 receive different signals, so that the soft mobile robot can distinguish its own location by different signals.

[0048] In the description of this specification, references to terms such as "an embodiment," "example," "specific example," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In this specification, illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0049] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely illustrative of the principles of the invention. Various changes and modifications can be made to the invention without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the claimed invention.

Claims

1. A soft-bodied mobile robot having a dual-chambered flexible body and a foldable wheel leg, comprising a vehicle frame, characterized in that, The front and rear ends of the frame are equipped with software actuators and guide wheels, and the left and right sides of the frame are equipped with a pneumatic wheel. The left and right ends of the software actuator are each fixed with a pneumatic wheel mounting bracket to install the two pneumatic wheels, which are driven to rotate by two drive motors to realize the robot's forward or backward movement. The soft actuator includes a first air chamber and a second air chamber distributed to the left and right. A pneumatic control structure is provided on the frame to control the inflation and deflation of the first air chamber and the second air chamber respectively, so as to realize the asymmetric deformation of the soft actuator, drive the two air wheels to deflect, and realize the robot's steering.

2. The soft mobile robot with dual air chamber flexible body and origami wheel legs of claim 1, wherein, The software driver includes a paper-folding structure body. The first air chamber and the second air chamber are located inside the paper-folding structure body. The first air chamber and the second air chamber are respectively connected to the pneumatic control structure through air channels to realize independent inflation and deflation control of the two air chambers.

3. The soft mobile robot having a dual air chamber flexible body and a foldable wheel leg of claim 2, wherein, The outer surface of the software driver is provided with a first flexible resistance sensing element and a second flexible resistance sensing element that are perpendicularly distributed to each other; the first flexible resistance sensing element and the second flexible resistance sensing element both span the outer regions of the first air chamber and the second air chamber, and are used to acquire the deformation information of the software driver in different directions.

4. The soft mobile robot having a dual air chamber flexible body and a foldable wheel leg of claim 3, wherein, The first and second flexible resistance sensing elements are both electrically connected to the signal acquisition and processing module. The signal acquisition and processing module is used to collect the resistance changes of the two flexible resistors and output the deformation state of the soft actuator. It is used to monitor the inflation and deployment state of the soft actuator and the local deformation response when the soft actuator collides with an external object.

5. The soft mobile robot with dual air chamber flexible body and origami wheel legs of claim 2, wherein, The soft actuator also includes a first spring and a second spring. The first spring is arranged laterally along the actuator, and the second spring is arranged along the extension direction of the soft actuator. The first spring and the second spring are continuously stretched during the deformation of the soft actuator to form elastic potential energy.

6. The soft mobile robot with dual air-chambered flexible body and origami wheel legs of claim 2, wherein, The air turbine has a turbine shaft at its center for connection to the turbine mounting bracket. The air turbine includes multiple wheel bodies evenly distributed around its circumference. Each wheel body has an air chamber inside, and the air turbine has air passages for filling and releasing air into the air chambers. The air chambers are connected to a pneumatic control structure through the air passages, causing the wheel bodies to deform under the action of filling and releasing air.

7. The soft mobile robot having a dual air chamber flexible body and a foldable wheel leg of claim 3, wherein, The pneumatic control structure includes: an air pump, a first solenoid valve, a second solenoid valve, a third solenoid valve, a fourth solenoid valve, and a fifth solenoid valve; the air pump provides compressed air, the first solenoid valve controls the opening and closing of the air extraction pipe, the second solenoid valve controls the opening and closing of the air filling pipe, the third and fourth solenoid valves are respectively connected to two air passages in the first and second air chambers, and the fifth solenoid valve is connected to the air passages in the two air wheels.

8. The soft mobile robot with dual air-chambered flexible body and origami wheel legs of claim 7, wherein, The frame is equipped with a control module, which controls the solenoid valve to control the inflation and deflation of the air passage, collects signals from the flexible resistive sensing element to obtain the deformation state of the driver and uses it for collision detection, and controls the drive motor to achieve movement and steering.

9. A soft mobile robot with a dual-chamber flexible body and origami-like wheel legs according to claim 1, characterized in that, A turbine shaft is fixed at the center of the turbine, and the turbine shaft is rotatably connected to the turbine mounting frame. A gear transmission assembly and a quick-connect component are provided between the gas turbine and the gas turbine mounting frame. The gear transmission assembly includes: a drive motor fixed to the turbine mounting frame, a drive gear disposed at the output end of the drive motor, and a driven gear coaxially disposed on the turbine shaft, wherein the drive gear meshes with the driven gear. The rotating quick-connect component is connected to the outer end of the airway and is used to connect to an external air tube.

10. A medical auxiliary device, characterized in that, Including the soft mobile robot as described in any one of claims 1-9.

Images